Fitbits up and Apples down in IDCs latest wearable market numbers

IDCs latest world wide wearable numbers are in, and everything looks to be coming up Fitbit. As smartwatch numbers declined, the larger wearable space is up overall, thanks in no small part to the Charge manufacturer.

According to IDCs numbers, Fitbit commanded nearly a quarter of the entire category at 23 percent, a year-over-year increase of 22 percent, with total device shipment volumes bumping from 4.7 to 5.3 million for Q3. Those numbers are, unsurprisingly, primarily made up of the new devices, namely the Blaze, Alta, Flex 2 and Charge 2 the latter of which is currently the top-selling wearable here in the States.

Low-cost Chinese hardware maker Xiaomi and GPS-turned-fitness-brand Garmin took the number two and three spots, respectively, while Apple dipped to fourth place, due to a pretty steep decline of 71 percent, year over year. That number is thanks, in part, to the companys decision to release the product late in the quarter, though its hard not to view the loss of market share as part of a larger trend.

After all, in just the past week, rumors surfaced of Pebble getting swallowed up by Fitbit, while Motorola just up and admitted that it wasnt moving enough Moto 360 units to justify a continued investment in the space moving forward.

The overall numbers dont look great, though the delay of Android Wear 2.0, the late-in-year release of the Samsung Gear S3 and the relatively minor upgrades to the Apple Watch Series 2 could all be factors in a category that doesnt have the same shine as it did whenit first exploded on the scene.